Chapter 1
Victoria
“All rise for the Honorable Judge William Hughes.”
Victoria Bellamy stood at the command of the bailiff, and the judge came in with his long, black robe and sat in the burgundy leather chair behind the podium. His face was stern and determined. Despite his forbidding appearance, Victoria was happy Hughes was the judge she got. He was a stern overseer, and criminals never got off easy with him ruling the courtroom.
Her trial would go well as long as she stayed alert. She’d even worn her lucky royal navy suit, the one that she used to boost her confidence on the first day of her court cases.
“You may be seated,” the bailiff said.
Judge Hughes gave instructions to the jury about the laws and rules that apply to this case and then turned to look at her and the defense.
“We will now hear Prosecuting Attorney Victoria Bellamy present the case of the People versus Roman Vasin,” the judge said.
As Victoria stood and made her way to the floor before speaking, she noticed that the defense attorney with the curly blond hair was staring at her. She had done her research on Andrei Rusak before coming into the courtroom. She knew he was representing his family law firm, which had a history of defending powerful men. Going over his information helped her prepare for the trial. What she wasn’t expecting was the way he followed her every move with his eyes or the fact that he’d be better looking than the photos she found on him. She felt butterflies in her stomach when she looked at him, but her attraction to him was wildly inappropriate on so many levels. She pushed all of that to the back of her mind as she mentally prepped for her opening statement.
She made eye contact to reinforce her don’t-fuck-with-me lucky suit and matching shoes. In the past, defense attorneys underestimated her, especially the men. She’d built her reputation brick by brick. She wanted it to be clear that she knew how to do her job and do it well. It all started with the clothes followed by a heap of confidence… not just the bravado new lawyers had to make themselves seem smart. True confidence in the courtroom came from dealing with the strong wins and the shitty failures, which she used with every move she made in front of the courtroom.
“Your Honor, ladies and gentleman of the jury,” Victoria started, “today the people are charging Roman Vasin with willful and deliberate first degree murder of Samuel Winter.” Victoria took her time to walk the length of the jury section. When she moved in front the jury and made eye contact with every one of them, she glimpse out of the side of her eye and noticed Rusak was still staring at her.
“The people will prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Roman Vasin killed Samuel Winter with malice by calling our witnesses.” She listed her key witness, Mr. Ollie Jefferson, who allegedly saw Mr. Vasin throwing the duffle bag containing the body into the Hudson River. He was the one who was going to help her win. Detectives from the New York Police Department Diving team, who retrieved the duffel bag containing the body from the Hudson River, the coroner who did the autopsy, and an expert from ballistics, who identified the type of weapon and the bullets used in the shooting, rounded out her witness team. “We will also be using the film from the security cameras in and around the jewelry store to help prove our case.”
She couldn’t stop a small smile from making an appearance when she sat down, so she looked at her court files to hide it. This moment was why she enjoyed her job. It wasn’t for the noble reasons of putting bad guys away or seeing justice done. Those were great, but it was the thrill of knowing that she did her job well. That got her through some of the craziness that came from being a prosecutor.
When Victoria sat down, she felt confident in her opening statement. She had this case locked down. There was no way any jury would find Vasin innocent after all the evidence she’d gathered.
Even as she sat down, she still felt the defense attorney’s eyes on her, and they were completely glued to her. Instead of letting it get to her, she finally turned to him and stared right back at him, ice glittering in her eyes. She was expecting an answering challenge in his eyes, but she found something less threatening. He smiled warmly back at her before the judge called him up. She was taken aback, blinking a little bit. When he smiled at her, it felt like the sun had just come out from behind the clouds.
When the defense attorney stood up, she realized how tall and handsome he really was. A lean figure rested underneath his expensive, gray, suit that melded to his solid body like fine butter with deliciously broad shoulders filling out the top of him as if he wasn’t a stranger to occasional weightlifting. He had sexy cheekbones and strong features that made him handsome without being drop-dead gorgeous or a delicate pretty boy.
There was something about him that made it hard for her to take her eyes off him.
“Your Honor,” he said, “ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I am Andrei Rusak, the defense attorney for Mr. Vasin, and this is my defense team: Attorneys Linda Lamb and Roslyn Thompson.” He glanced her way. “Unlike the prosecution, I’m here to prove my client is innocent. The evidence is circumstantial and doesn’t place my client anywhere near the scene of the crime.”
Victoria held back a scoff, and she continued listening as he noted witnesses for his defense.
As soon as the he completed his statement, Vasin jumped out of his seat, and screamed, “I didn’t do it, Your Honor!”
The judge picked up the gavel and hammered it down a couple of times. “Order in the court, Mr. Vasin, you cannot yell in the courtroom. Mr. Rusak, I suggest you explain to your client that I expect a civilized trial from here on out.”
“Of course, Your Honor,” Rusak said as he pulled Vasin back down in his seat and whispered something in his ear. Vasin mumbling something back and seemed angry, his face still flushed. Not a minute later, he jumped up again and yelled out, “I didn’t kill anyone, Your Honor!”
“Keep him quiet,” said the judge, “or I will hold him in contempt!”
“It won’t happen again, Your Honor.” This time it was Rusak’s turn to get angry as he whispered into Mr. Vasin’s ear and pulled the man back down with a hand clamped to the back of Vasin’s neck.
Victoria figured he was explaining to his client that contempt meant jail time along with a possible fine for being disruptive. If it continued like this, the case would be easier than she thought and certainly an entertaining experience.
Vasin stayed silent and remained down this time. One reason why Victoria liked being a prosecutor was that the state was her client and not some spoiled man-child who had too much money and power for the span of his lifetime.
Victoria watched Rusak as he stood back up and moved around the courtroom floor to initiate his defense. He made sure that he faced the judge and the jury before finally settling his startlingly blue eyes back on her. She could feel her heart beating hard in her chest and her breathing deepening. Inappropriate. So inappropriate to feel this way.
The way he looked at her made it seem like he saw straight throu
gh to some deeper part of her that no one else could see. It was a stare that would make anyone want to look away from feeling so vulnerable, but Victoria made sure she kept his gaze.
She thought she saw a small, crooked smile on the side of his mouth before he turned to the others in the courtroom. What was that all about?
With each look, he was making her things she had long since pushed to the side so she could focus on her career. Her last relationship had been her longest and hadn’t ended well. They didn’t talk at all anymore. After the dust had settled, she had chosen to forget about her love life and focus on work, which had helped her get to where she was now. The way Rusak kept staring at her made her wonder if she had done the right thing.
She crossed her legs, pushing back the warmth that had stirred up there. She was in court. There was no place for the thoughts that were popping up in her head. Besides, the guy who strode back and forth in front of her was the defense, her opposition.
His blond hair fell forward, and he gently took his hand and brushed his hair back from his face. It was a simple gesture, but he made it appear tempting and almost seductive.
As he continued to speak, she noticed his lips. They were full and pouty lips that any woman would love kissing. She wondered what those lips would feel like kissing her neck. She could feel the edge of excitement creep up through her as she listened to his baritone voice.